A House Divided
by Sir Perfluous
Summary: Being a Ranger often means learning to accept some major life changes. For Preston Tien, accepting some of those changes isn't always so easy, especially where family is concerned.
1. Feeling Blue

**Disclaimer:**  
 **I don't own Power Rangers. Now that we've got that all cleared up, let's get on to the story.**

* * *

The school bell rang signaling the end of another day as Sarah Thompson made her way out of the classroom and into the bustling halls of Summer Cove High School. She made her way down the hallway passing a crowd of gossiping Freshman girls and rounded a corner where Victor Vincent was busy bragging about a good grade on a math test to anyone who would stop and listen. A little further down the way, she finally found the locker she was looking for and bounded over to Preston who was putting some of his books away. She gave a cheerful smile and offered him a peppy greeting, "Preston! Hey!"

Preston finished clearing out his bookbag before closing his locker door and giving a half-hearted smile, "Oh, hey Sarah. Sorry I didn't see you coming down the hall."

The Pink Ranger looked him over a moment and raised an eyebrow in mild confusion, "Uh Preston? Aren't you forgetting something?"

He frowned to himself for a moment before giving a shrug, "I don't think so. I've got all my homework packed right here."

Sarah shook her head and gestured to his clothes, "No not that. It's Friday, remember? You usually do a little end-of-the-week magic show in the east wing of the school."

That was in fact a true statement. On Friday afternoons when classes were over, Preston would often perform some tricks for anyone who was interested... or bored enough to hang around school and watch. Granted, the turnout was always laughably small, but it never stopped the Blue Ranger from donning his best tophat and dark blue magician coat to greet his spectators. Today, Preston hadn't even bothered to change and still wore his normal everyday street clothes. He gave another shrug and slung his back over his shoulder, "Oh yeah... maybe next week. I'm not feeling it today."

He started walking off and Sarah tagged along with him giving a confused sputter, "What? Not feeling it? I thought you loved performing and doing magic tricks for people."

"I do," he said coolly as he kept walking on toward the front exit of the school, "I just don't want to today. Besides, it's not like anyone will be all that disappointed if I don't perform, right?"

"Come on Preston that's not true! You know I like coming by to watch your tricks and so do the other Rangers," Sarah argued while gently tugging him by the sleeve. Since she had recently moved to the town of Summer Cove, Preston had been one of her first friends there along with Brody and the rest of the Ninja Steel Rangers. Whatever was going on today, Sarah found it a little troubling to see one of her good friends acting so unusual and glum all of a sudden.

He sighed patently, "Of course Sarah. You know I always appreciate the support, but I just don't want to do any magic today, all right?"

"Okay... then will you at least tell me what's going on? Is something bothering you today?"

The Blue Ranger shook his head and continued walking toward the main doors, "Everything is fine Sarah. I'm good. Promise."

Before he could get any further, he was stopped as Brody, Calvin, and Haley came over from a side hallway that led into the school's atrium. Brody gave a cheerful smile and threw a friendly arm around Preston's shoulder's in greeting, "Hey Presto! Glad we caught you! You still doing your weekly show today?"

Preston politely extricated himself from Brody's arm and shook his head, "Sorry Brody, not today. Maybe next week, okay?"

Brody gave a slightly disappointed look as Calvin scratched his chin toward the Blue Ranger, "Really? You feeling okay bud? I've never heard you turn down a magic show before."

"That's what I was saying," Sarah chimed in voicing her agreement.

By now, Preston was starting to grow a little irritated and his features began to darken which was something the others found to be highly unusual for their normally easy going friend.

"Listen, I don't understand why you're all making a huge deal out of all this! I said I don't feel like having a performance and doing any magic today! Is that okay? Is it so hard to accept or do I have to repeat myself again?"

Everyone flinched a little at his sudden outburst as Calvin raised his hands defensively, "Okay, okay, it's all good Preston. Just chill."

Haley, ever the peacemaker, cleared her throat and decided to change the subject, "Preston, if you're not going to be performing today maybe you'd like to join Calvin, Brody, and I for a burger and shake across town? Or we can try that new fruit smoothie chain that just opened up... I think the place was called Ernie's?"

Preston forced a weak smile and kept his tone level, "Thanks for the offer Haley. That's really nice of you but I think I'll pass on this one. Maybe next time, okay?"

"Oh, uh... okay," the White Ranger replied in surprise as the others watched Preston head out the door and leave school for the day.

Calvin put a reassuring arm over his girlfriend before watching their departing comrade, "Huh... I wonder what that was all about? It's pretty rare to see Presto go off and snap at people like that."

Sarah frowned slightly and moved toward the main doors, "Do you think we should maybe go after him? See if he's okay?"

Brody reached out and stopped her while giving a gentle shake of the head, "No. I'm sure whatever it is, Preston will be okay. He asked us to give him some space so let's give it to him so he can sort out whatever is bothering him."

"But..."

"If he needs our help, I'm sure he'll ask and we'll be more than happy to give it," Brody said reassuringly before he turned to Haley, "In the mean time... you said something about burgers and shakes?"

* * *

Later that day, Preston Tien sat alone on a wooden bench overlooking a small lagoon built into the largest of Summer Cove's public parks. He stretched out and gave a glum sigh while watching many of the happy people going by him: a few joggers, a man walking his dog, and a pair of lovers walking hand in hand. Near the edge of the lagoon, Preston paid more attention to a young mother and her little son who was running around in the dirt catching bugs. Preston couldn't help but smile a little when he saw the little five year old boy proudly hold up a cricket he had captured only to have his mother sigh and begin wiping the dirt off her son's face with her sleeve. She gave the boy a loving stroke on the head before picking him up and carrying him away from the waters edge when chaos erupted in the park.

Preston turned and saw a monster appear from seemingly nowhere. No doubt this was another one of Galvanax's gladiators come to terrorize the civilians and pick a fight with the Ninja Rangers. If that's what he wanted today, then that's what Preston was going to give him. With the things weighing down on his mind today, he was in the mood to fight and blow off some steam. He sprung from the bench and began charging into danger with his power star morphing in midstride, " _Ninja Spin_!"

In a flash of blue light, Preston morphed and drew his ninja blade before blindsiding the offending monster with a flying slash. The monster grunted from the hit and used the momentum to roll back to its feet and confront the Ranger. As it reared up, Preston got a good look at the creature and saw that it had a demonic appearance, perhaps something out of Japanese folklore? It had red skin, a large powerful build, and a toothy maw like that of an Asian style ogre. It wore a straw cape and carried a large knife in one hand. Preston leveled his blade and tried to keep his courage up while facing the intimidating creature on his own, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The monster gave a snarling laugh and brandished its butcher knife, "I am Namahage, Ranger. I came to destroy you, but if there are any naughty kids around, I'll take them too!"

"I'm not going to let either one of those happen," Preston called back as he took a fighting stance, "The only naughty one around here is you!"

Namahage laughed and turned toward the frightened mother and her son nearby the lagoon, "Guess again Ranger!"

The monster made a great flying leap toward the terrified civilians and landed right in front of them, "Are there any crybabies around? Yes? Oh, too bad!"

The monster reared back to strike but before it could bring its knife down all the way, Preston leapt over and deflected it just in time. He pushed the mother and child toward the parkway up the hill, "Go! Run for your lives!"

The mother took off running carrying her son before the ogre recovered and beat down Preston's guard sending the Blue Ranger flying several meters with a powerful slash. As Preston rolled to a halt on the grass, he gasped from getting the wind knocked out of him along with the bruise which was likely going to form over his ribs later. He lay face first in the dirt struggling to get up as the monster lumbered closer toward him, "Is that all? Are you just going to lay there and give up? Or are you going to run home crying to your mother too?"

That particular insult stung Preston and he began to rise with renewed vigor but it was all for naught. A hail of blaster fire rained down and struck the ogre sending it flying away with a pained howl. Moments later, the other Ninja Rangers were on the scene and gathering around their down comrade with swords and blasters drawn.

"That's far enough ugly! Leave him alone!" Sarah called leveling her weapons for a fight while Brody bent down to help Preston to his knees.

The ogre snorted and sheathed his large knife, "That's not fair Blue. Now you're cheating. We'll finish this later!"

In a flash of light, Namahage teleported away and retreated from battle leaving the Rangers in the empty evacuated park. After they powered down, Calvin put his power star away and turned to Haley, "Who was that guy?'

"I don't know but he looked familiar," Brody said darkly, "I may have seen him back on the Warrior Dome... but I'll have to compare notes with Mick about it. Preston, you okay?"

Preston caught his breath and rose to his feet, wincing a little from his banged up side, "Yeah... I'm good. Thanks."

Brody reached out to help his friend, "Are you sure? You look a little unsteady..."

"I said I'm fine, okay?" Preston snapped as he shrugged off Brody's hand and began shuffling away from the battlefield by himself.

The other Rangers simply watched him leave in silence. After he had departed, Sarah tucked her pink power star away and began walking in the same direction. Calvin called out, "Hey Sarah, where are you going?"

"I'm going to see what's wrong with Preston," she answered, "Whatever happened in that battle we just fought, I'm convinced that something is up now."

"Do you want us to come with?" Brody asked.

She shook her head, "Maybe let me try first. If this is something sensitive, maybe a one-on-one talk is better than bringing the whole crew in on it. In the mean time, why don't you guys go see Mick about that monster?"

The others couldn't argue with that logic. As they watched her leave the park, the other Rangers could only hope Sarah could figure out what was going on with Preston and shed some light on what may have happened during that monster battle.

* * *

Meanwhile, aboard the Warrior Dome ship, the monstrous advisor to Galvanax known as Madame Odius stood in her personal quarters looking at herself in a mirror. The fox-like creature curled her lips in a malicious smile before walking to her closet and removing an elegant black evening dress that was better suited to that of a human woman. As she pulled some lint from it, she heard the radio comm in her room page her. She recognized the deep gravely voice of Galvanax anywhere.

"Odious, where are you?"

"In my quarters... scheming," she said with a little chuckle, "That's what you keep me around for, isn't it?"

"I'm beginning to question that myself," Galvanax growled on the other end, "The monster you suggested we send down has retreated from battle and you have been scarce these last few weeks."

"Do not worry. Everything is going according to plan," Odious smiled as she hung the dress in a ready rack, "I only ask that you have a little more patience. Some of these plans require time and patience before they bear any fruit."

"They'd better produce results soon Odius," Galvanax answered gruffly, "I don't have forever and I want those power stars now!"

The communicator cut out and Odius sniffed in quiet contempt. That was one thing she always despised about Galvanax, he was always so impatient and simple minded. If he wanted results sooner, she could do that... she would just have to get a little more creative. She took the black dress and walked over to the mirror. As she gave a malicious smile, she started to use some of her dark magic and she began to change shape.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Namahage are demon-like ogres from Japanese folklore. In some parts of Japan, people dress up like them as part of a New Years ritual to "scare" little children and make sure they behave. Whether Saban wants to admit it or not, many of the monsters from Ninja Steel and its adapted Sentai Ninninger are inspired by Japanese folklore. There is a specific reason I chose Namahage and it will be made more clear in the coming chapters.**


	2. Like Father, Unlike Son

Orange light of the fading autumn sun hung over the skies of Summer Cove as Sarah approached the large palatial house of Preston. After the battle in the park, she had called in to their base and asked Redbot to locate Preston via his wrist communicator. According to the robot, Preston had returned home and didn't look to be going anywhere else tonight. As she reached the edge of the perfectly manicured lawn, she hopped off her hoverboard and carried it up to the door with her. She rung the doorbell and waited for a moment admiring the immaculate masonry of the front walkway and porch. In a way, she wasn't really surprised the mansion was as impressive as it was. Preston's father Marcus Tien was one of the most influential people in all of Summer Cove. The reach of his real estate development firm seemed limitless and it wasn't too far off to think that the Tiens likely had controlling business interests in at least half the town.

Despite coming from such affluence, it was also easy to forget that Preston had such a connection either. Unlike many of the kids that came from filthy rich families, he was completely different than the ones Sarah had known before. Instead of being arrogant, self-centered, and vain like many of those other kids, Sarah had come to know the Blue Ranger to be someone who never looked down on others, who was always very generous and kind hearted albeit a little eccentric at times. When the door finally opened, a well groomed man wearing a dark suit and a calm expression greeted her. "This is the Tien residence, may I help you?"

Sarah paused a moment remembering that this was likely one of the family butlers and she straightened up to look a little more presentable, "Oh, umm... yes. I'm Sarah Thompson, one of Preston's friends from school. I was wondering if he was in?"

The butler gave her a pointed look and sighed, "Master Preston is in the solarium reading a book. He told me he wasn't in the mood to see any visitors tonight."

"Please! Can you just ask him again? It's very important!" Sarah insisted.

The butler wrinkled his features in mild annoyance and went back inside before reappearing a couple minutes later, "Please come in Miss Thompson. I'll show you to the solarium. Do watch your step."

The Pink Ranger hesitantly followed the butler inside through the elegant foyer and past the living room of the large house before they came to the room where Preston was flopped on a couch reading a book. He sat up and moment and greeted Sarah before the butler excused himself from the room. "Hey... take a seat. I wasn't expecting to see anyone tonight."

Sarah set her hoverboard down and sat on a sofa across from him, "Honestly, I wasn't expecting you'd want to let any of us talk to you today. Why the sudden change of heart for me?"

He set his book down and rose from his chair, "I dunno. If you came all this way, I figured I'd make an exception. While you're here, do you want a snack or anything?"

Sarah fixed him with a pointed look, "I want to know what's going on with you. You were acting all moody at school today. You cancelled your weekly magic show and then you took on that monster all by yourself at the park. That's not like you at all Preston. Everyone else was a little concerned and so was I."

Preston grimaced and looked away as if mulling something over in his head, "Yeah... about that, I'm really sorry Sarah. I didn't mean to get mad at anyone earlier. It's just... well... it's something kinda personal."

"Is it something I can help you with?" Sarah asked in sudden concern, "Or maybe the other Rangers?"

Preston shook his head, "No... it's not that simple and I'm pretty sure none of you can help me with this one either."

The Pink Ranger sighed, "Well I'm your friend, aren't I? Do you want to at least talk to me about it? Maybe it'll make you feel better?"

Preston paced near a bookshelf before putting away the book he had been reading. He paused and debated inwardly before speaking quietly, "I've had a lot on my mind recently... about my Dad... and my Mom."

"Your Mom?" Sarah asked in confusion. She was told by Calvin and Haley that Preston's mother had passed away a few years ago when they were still in middle school, but Sarah never really pried because it was something he didn't seem to want to talk about much.

He nodded and continued to explain, "Tomorrow is the anniversary of my Mom's death. Every year since then, my Dad and I have gone to visit her in the cemetery... to leave some fresh flowers and to just hang out for a little bit... you know? Talking to her and telling her what's new in our lives."

Sarah gave a sympathetic smile and nodded gently, "Well I think that sounds very nice. I'm guessing you were close to her?"

Preston nodded, "She was the best mother a guy could ask for. She was always very loving and kind... she had a great sense of humor, and was really supportive too... even when it came to my interest in learning magic. I really missed her when she passed and I guess I still think about her a lot, especially around this time of the year. When I saw a mother and her son being attacked by that monster in the park... I just had to do something to protect them."

Sarah nodded in understanding as things began to make a little more sense. "I'm sorry you were feeling upset about all that stuff. I didn't know you were missing your Mom so much."

He gave a weak smile and shrugged while walking back over, "It's okay. No one really does. It's not something I really like to talk about much. It really had a big effect on my Dad and I. In some ways, I think he took it harder than I did."

Sarah thought it over a minute before speaking, "Well... if it makes you feel better, would you mind if the rest of us come along with you tomorrow when you go to the cemetery? I'm sure your Mom would like to meet all your new friends, right? Maybe we can all go out for pizza afterward or something."

Preston made a faint smile, "Thanks Sarah, that's really sweet of you... but I just don't know..."

The Pink Ranger raised an apologetic hand, "Oh! Right... if your Dad is there, he might not want us butting in on a private family moment and..."

"No, you don't understand," Preston interrupted her, "My Dad has been part of the problem and that's why I've been so upset about tomorrow."

Sarah stopped and blinked in confusion, "Your Dad? Okay... now you lost me there."

Before he could answer, Preston's father entered the room. Mr. Tien looked like he had just gotten home from the office and was still dressed in his dark expensive looking business suit. "Preston, dinner is going to be ready soon and..."

The older graying Asian man stopped when he caught sight of Sarah and tried to give a polite nod toward her, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a visitor."

"It's okay Dad. It was a little unexpected for me too. You remember my friend Sarah... from school?"

"How do you do?" Mr. Tien said extending a stiff hand, "I'm sorry, have we met before?"

Sarah shook his hand and winced as she tried not to make things any more awkward, "Err, yes sir... at the Ribbon Tree protest a while back."

"Ah... of course. Well, nice to see you again," Mr. Tien said quickly, "It's almost time for dinner. If you'd like, you're more than welcome to stay and join us."

Sarah gave a sheepish look and stepped back a little, "Oh no. Thank you Mr. Tien. I couldn't impose like that. I just came by tonight to discuss something um... school related with Preston."

Mr. Tien shrugged and turned back to his son, "While we're on the topic of dinner, I hope you'll change your mind about tomorrow night, son."

Preston sighed and tried to hide a flash of annoyance on his face, "I told you before Dad, I think I'll pass."

Mr. Tien crossed his arms patiently, "And I think you're being very rude Preston. Come on, it's just for one night and I'd like to introduce you to Marion. I'm sure she'll be very happy to meet you."

Sarah raised an eyebrow and remained silent as she listened to the exchange. Didn't Mr. Tien say his wife's name was Ellen before at the Ribbon Tree?

Preston's features tightened, "Well I don't want to meet your new girlfriend Dad. And of all days, did you really have to pick tomorrow?"

"I know it's not the best time but it was the only day that Marion was free and..."

"And nothing Dad," Preston fired back stubbornly, "On Mom's anniversary? Really?"

Mr. Tien pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation and took a deep breath, "We've been over this before Preston. I know you miss your mother and all. So do I... but we have to try and move on a little bit too."

"So that's it? You're just going to replace her with this Marion person? Just like that?" Preston challenged, "And of all days... you want to skip seeing Mom in place of your new girlfriend? Do you know how selfish that is?"

"And isn't it just as selfish that you don't want me to see other people either? People who might make me happy too?" Mr. Tien snapped back.

Preston glared back at his father angrily, "If you're not going to go pay your respects to Mom, then I'll still go to see her. Will that be all, sir?"

Mr. Tien returned the stern look towards his son, "You know... ever since we had that big argument over the Ribbon Tree, you've really started to become a different person. It's like I don't know you any more."

"Really? I thought you always said I took more after my Mom," Preston retorted before walking out of the room in anger.

Once he left the room, Mr. Tien exhaled and turned to Sarah with an embarrassed look, "I'm so sorry you had to see all of that. Preston and I... we never used to argue like this, especially in front of others."

"It's okay," Sarah answered trying to be diplomatic, "Maybe give it a little more time? I'm sure it's a sensitive topic for Preston and accepting a new person into his life... well, that's a big thing, you know?"

"You have no idea," Mr. Tien muttered in agreement, "If you aren't too put off by everything you've seen tonight, the offer still stands if you'd like to stay for a meal."

Sarah thought for a moment before shaking her head, "Thanks, but I should really be getting home now... though if you don't mind me saying, I think I might have a suggestion on how to deal with this whole dinner issue tomorrow."

Mr. Tien blinked in surprise and looked to her curiously, "Really? What do you think we should do?"

* * *

"You said what?" Preston exclaimed as he gave Sarah a ride home later that evening.

"Oh come on Preston, it's really not a bad idea," she protested as they continued to drive down the road, "Think of it as a little bit of a compromise. I didn't think your Dad would be okay with it, but he seemed open to the idea of you bringing a friend along for support tomorrow."

The Blue Ranger gave a patient sigh as he turned a corner, "I wish you wouldn't meddle in this Sarah. This fight is between me and my Dad. It really doesn't have anything to do with you... no offense."

"Really? Because I think it kinda does," she argued back, "Listen, I get that you're upset with your Dad and you have good reason to be, but the longer you drag this out and let it fester, the worse it's going to be. You're already letting all this get to you and you almost paid for it against that monster earlier today. I'm saying this as your teammate and your friend, try to meet your Dad halfway."

"And I thought you were on my side here," Preston muttered petulantly.

"I am on your side... but I'm also kinda in agreement with your father," Sarah said, "It's okay to miss your Mom, especially right now but you have to think about your Dad a little bit too. Time has passed and it's not wrong for him to still want to go on dates with other women and try to be a little happy too, right?"

Preston shrugged quietly conceding that point, "Well... yeah, but I still feel like he's betraying Mom a little bit, especially by making his dinner date plans for tomorrow. Maybe I just feel like it's a little too soon... and I don't like the idea of someone trying to replace Mom."

"No one is asking you to forget about your Mom or to let her be replaced," Sarah said more gently, "But it kinda sounds like this is important to your father and he's looking for your approval on this too. Maybe this Marion woman is a really nice person and you might like her. Don't you think you'd be missing out by not giving this other person a chance to be nice to you and your Dad?"

Preston chewed his lip in thought, "Well... when you put it like that, I guess my Mom would want my Dad and I to get along and try to be happy."

"See? That's the spirit," Sarah said with a smile as she reached over and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "And if things don't go so great at dinner tomorrow, I'll be there to make sure you have someone to talk to, or act as an excuse to leave early."

"Really?" Preston teased slightly now that he was feeling a little better, "Are you sure it wasn't because my Dad picked some nice upscale restaurant with the best seafood in town?"

The Pink Ranger shrugged and chuckled a little, "Well, sometimes doing a good deed means making sacrifices. I guess I'll just have to suffer through that too."

They stopped in front of Sarah's house and Preston couldn't help but laugh a little as she got out and recovered her hoverboard from the backseat, "Thanks Sarah. You're a good friend, you know that?"

She winked and gave a friendly wave before heading off toward her house. Preston turned the car around and began heading home. He was still a little unhappy that Sarah had pitched an idea to his father without telling him. Then again, it was done with good intentions and maybe she was right about some of those things. He knew he still had to sit down and talk to his father when he got home but avoiding that conversation wasn't going to do any good either. Something he was learning about being a Ranger was that sometimes you just had to trust your teammates on things. He just hoped that his trust in a nice dinner tomorrow night wasn't going to be misplaced.


	3. Bad Date

The next evening, the rest of the Ranger team met at their hidden base in the school's paint room. Brody sat at one of the tables with Calvin, Haley, and Levi while Mick listened intently to what had taken place yesterday. After recounting the scene from the battlefield, Mick scratched his chin and paced around the room with a thoughtful expression, "Hmm… yes. That monster does sound familiar. What was it?"

He pondered it over for another minute before snapping his fingers, "Ah! That's it! Namahage... from the Ninninger Galaxy."

Calvin and Haley exchanged a puzzled look before Levi spoke up, "What do you remember about him? Anything helpful?"

"I remember he liked to throw his weight around," Mick said, "He also loved to intimidate others on the ship. I remember hearing rumors from other contestants that back in his own home galaxy he loved the fact that people feared him, especially children. He always wanted to scare the kids just so that they'd grow up and remember just how bad he was. Some parents apparently let him scare the kids on purpose hoping it would make them behave… but it's just a rumor."

"That sounds pretty screwed up," Calvin muttered before Levi spoke up again.

"So we're dealing with a big ol' bully here. You don't think he's going to strike again, do you?"

Brody shrugged and cracked his knuckles, "Who knows? Until then, we should probably go on patrol tonight and keep an eye out for trouble."

Redbot, who had been tinkering with some electronics nearby looked up and did a quick headcount, "What about Preston and Sarah? Won't they be coming too?"

Haley smiled, "I think we can cover for them tonight. Sarah told me they're going to be a little busy."

She was met with some puzzled looks before Calvin clarified, "Apparently she's going with Preston to some fancy pants restaurant across town to meet his father's new girlfriend."

"Really? Mr. Tien has a girlfriend?" Brody asked, "He seemed so… umm… uptight. And why is Sarah going too?"

"For support!" Haley said, "She didn't tell me much, but she said that she was helping prevent an argument from Preston and his father."

She paused and gave another sigh, "Still, she's so lucky! Did you know that they're going to The Grotto restaurant? That place is so romantic."

"And expensive," Calvin chimed in earning a light punch in the shoulder from his girlfriend. "Ow! What?"

"We've been dating for over a year now and we've never been there yet."

Calvin gave a defeated sigh knowing he was never going to win that argument while Brody and Levi stifled an amused laugh between each other. The Yellow Ranger decided to cut his losses as he hopped of his chair and began heading out the door, "Brody, you're coming with me. Let's get a move on before Hales starts getting any more ideas, huh?"

* * *

Meanwhile across town, Madame Odius adjusted the dark classy evening dress that she was wearing and gave a mild grumble of displeasure. As useful as it was, Odius could never get completely comfortable using the alien shape changing technology she had developed a long time ago. To many other "lesser races" it looked more like sorcery but she knew this was a great method to blend in on other worlds when she wanted to infiltrate public areas or gather information. Considering her new enemies in Summer Cove were ninjas (albeit highly conspicuous ones) she felt it was best to take a page from their book by using stealth and trickery as well. She walked over to the large gilded mirror in the lobby of the fancy restaurant and took one more moment to admire the guise she had been taking these last few weeks: that of an attractive middle aged Asian woman.

She turned when she saw Mr. Tien approach from behind and adjust the scarf on her back with a smile, "It shouldn't be long Marion. Preston should be here shortly with his friend. The hostess also said our seats are almost ready."

Odius gave a sweet smile in her human form to mask her annoyance. "Thank you Marcus. I can't wait."

It was true, Odius couldn't wait. She had carried on this charade for several weeks trying to lure in Mr. Tien by posing as a high flying real estate agent. She hoped that with access to his property records and local reach, she could try to find out where the Ninja Rangers were hiding. Wherever they gathered for their headquarters, she would surely find their power stars too. For now, she just had to tolerate this boring man a little more and put up with his son for the evening.

Soon enough, a smartly dressed Preston and Sarah arrived at the restaurant and entered the lobby. As his father approached, Sarah smoothed out her pink skirt while Preston muttered quietly, "I don't know about this Sarah. I'm still a little uncomfortable with this whole thing."

"Cheer up," she replied as she straightened his blue necktie and brushed some lint off the sleeve of his dark blazer, "At the very least, let's try to have some fun. Tonight's a good opportunity to dress up a little and have a nice meal."

As the teenagers approached, Odius froze and stared at them in shock. It wasn't possible, was it? She immediately recognized those two as some of the Ninja Rangers. It wasn't possible that Marcus's son Preston was the Blue Ranger, was it? If so, then she was within striking distance of getting two power stars right now. Mr. Tien noticed her hesitation and asked, "Marion? Is everything okay?"

"Ah… yes. I'm fine," Odius said as she regained her composure and put on a pleasant expression again, "I'm sorry. I just got a little nervous for a moment."

Mr. Tien shrugged and led her over, "Marion, this is my son Preston and his friend, Sarah."

Both Rangers gave polite smiles and greeted "Marion," completely unaware of who she really was before a hostess led them all to their seats.

The Grotto restaurant was one of the nicer places to eat in town and the décor was classy but not overly elegant either. For many residents of Summer Cove, it was a popular spot to go to for nicer dates or some more exotic food options. It had been a mild Fall evening and the group was led out to an outdoor patio area overlooking a large pond which was ringed by a grassy knoll. Lights were strewn up along the roof of the patio giving a nice soft glow and a relaxing ambiance.

"I wasn't expecting an extra person to join us tonight," Marion said to Preston as they got settled in their seats. She decided she might as well try to throw the Rangers off balance and mess with them a little, "Is this your girlfriend maybe?"

Both Rangers exchanged shocked expressions and turned beet red before they quickly started speaking over one another, "What? Oh no no no. You've got it all wrong. We're just friends. Yeah, really close friends… but not that close. Right, not like that if that's what you were thinking."

Mr. Tien raised an eyebrow and picked up a menu, "Why don't we just order some appetizers?"

* * *

A few dinner courses came and went along with the requisite small talk. Preston shifted a little in his seat and did his best not to look too uncomfortable while they waited for "Marion" to return to the table. She had excused herself saying she had to make a quick business call. While Mr. Tien went over the bill and spoke with the waiter, Sarah gave her friend a light nudge, "So, what do you think? Marion seems nice, doesn't she?"

"I guess so," he replied quietly with a shrug. He was never all that comfortable when it came to these sort of social situations. He never knew quite what to say and always felt a bit awkward. Unlike when he was performing a magic show, Preston at least had some control over the situation and had a script to fall back on. How more extroverted people like Sarah could be so comfortable in their own skin and fly by the seat of their pants was beyond him sometimes.

"You don't seem so convinced about her," Sarah frowned.

"I don't know… it's just a weird feeling I'm getting from her."

"You're the one who's weird here," Sarah sighed while giving him a light slap in the arm, "Your dad looks like he's okay with everything. Stop and look. Doesn't he seem happier to you?"

Preston refrained from answering as both friends suddenly felt their wrist communicators vibrate. The had set them to silent mode for the evening, but neither were expecting another monster attack so soon either. Whatever was going on, they had to find a way to get away from the dinner table and help their friends in battle. They exchanged a quiet look of concern before Marion returned to the table wearing an apologetic face, "I'm so sorry about that everyone. I needed to straighten something out with a client just now. No rest for the wicked, eh?"

"Don't I know it?" Mr. Tien laughed as after-dinner coffee was served. "If only there was a way to make them magically disappear sometimes, right?"

Odius gave a thin smile and turned to the squirming Preston, "Speaking of which… Preston, I heard that you enjoy doing magic tricks."

"Oh… well, yeah. But I'm not very good," he admitted sheepishly.

"Maybe you could do some tricks here?"

Mr. Tien fixed his son with a pointed look and Preston tried to evade the subject, "Oh gee, I don't know. The wait staff might not like it if I started bending spoons and levitating salt shakers."

Odius gave a catlike smile deciding to make her move, "Oh? That's too bad, because I actually enjoy doing magic too. In fact, I'd like to do a trick right here."

She deactivated her shape-shifting technology and reverted to her normal monstrous form which startled everyone around her. The mere sight of another monster was enough to cause a small riot and make the terrified civilians flee the room. Amid the scramble of panicked people from the restaurant patio, Odius gave a sniff and turned to the stunned face of Mr. Tien. He blinked in shock and rubbed his eyes, "You're not Marion... who are you? What do you want?"

Odius laughed and cast a sidelong glance toward Preston and Sarah with her beady eyes, "There never was a Marion you old fool! Who I am and what I want are none of your business either. All you need to know is that you've suddenly outlived your purpose human."

Mr. Tien struggled to process this revelation before seeing the predatory look in the monster's eyes, "Whatever you're going to do, stay away from my son!"

Odius's hand began to glow as she called upon a hidden blaster device and whipped a bolt of light at him, "Silence!"

"Dad!" Preston cried out in panic as he saw his own father come directly into harm's way. Before he could react, Sarah already sprung forward and began to pull her ninja star while flipping the table up to shield Mr. Tien. The maneuver half worked as the bolt blasted the table but the sheer force of it carried through and hurled both Sarah and Mr. Tien clear across the room and into some tables nearby.

Preston moved to aid his fellow Ranger but he was thrown aside by a burst of Odius's power as well. He rolled to the ground in a dazed heap while Odius ambled across the room and bent down to recover something from the floor. Moments later, she held up Sarah's pink power star which had been knocked from her hand. A short distance away, both Sarah and Mr. Tien lay sprawled out, possibly injured or unconscious.

"Yes. Wonderful," Odius exclaimed with a cruel laugh as she palmed the pink star and moved toward the fallen Blue Ranger next, "To think... my plan was going so well. I was expecting I'd have to scour the entire town for these and the first two just fell right into my lap."

"What are you talking about?" Preston groaned weakly from the ground.

Odius continued to walk forward slowly, "Your father... he has vast resources and access to property in this town. I was hoping I could put some of that to use in tracking down where the power stars were hiding. As luck would have it, you brought yours right to me instead. If only I had known Marcus was the father of a ninja brat."

"You're not going to get anything from us," Preston feebly answered as he continued to struggle on the floor.

Odius shook her head with a sneer, "I seriously doubt that. Now be a good boy Preston and give me your power star."

He struggled to his knees and tried to focus on resisting the evil monster in front of him, "You're not my mother. You can't tell me what to do."

Odius growled at the defiant little retort, "It's time you learned a little discipline young man. I'm going to show you just how monstrous I can be."

"You want to see a monster? I'll show you one," Preston replied as he focused his mind and began to draw on the magic powers granted to him by the Ninja Steel. His dragon bracelet began to shimmer with a blue light as a surging ball of energy began to grow from his hand. While he had never tried to harness such a great amount of power before, much less control it, Preston was desperate and tried to focus it into something powerful and familiar that he knew would protect his loved ones.

Odius watched in shock as the magic energy began to coalesce and take shape into a large winged beast with a long neck, sharp claws, and a menacing visage. A magic Oriental dragon made out of glowing blue light energy gave a fearsome roar before pouncing on Odius and violently shaking her about like a rag-doll. Odius screeched in fury as the dragon roared and thrashed her about, destroying more tables and patio furniture of the restaurant. As it gave one last screech, the summoned dragon tossed Odius clear across the outdoor patio and into the pond nearby.

Preston gave a gasp of exhaustion as the spell gave out and the dragon dissipated into oblivion. He looked at the ruined floor and found that Sarah's star had been knocked from Odius's hand and it lay nearby. He scooped the star up to safety and rose to see Odius rising from the shallow waters of the pond some distance away.

The injured and humiliated villain shook off some water from her robes and gave a grunt of hatred, "I'll remember this insult Blue Ranger. You and your friends will pay for this... if they even survive the attack from Namahage."

With that, Odius used an emergency teleporter device to escape back to her ship leaving Preston alone amidst the ruins of the restaurant patio. He took a moment to catch his breath before hurrying over to Sarah as she rolled over and held her head, "Oww... what hit me?"

He bent down and helped his friend sit up before placing the pink power star back in her hand, "Madam Odius did. Are you okay?"

"I... think so. But Odius..."

Preston cut her off and steadied her, "Retreated for now. I'll explain later."

He paused a moment, "You saved my father Sarah... thank you."

She took her power star back in momentary confusion before giving a tired nod, "Don't mention it. What are friends for?"

As she regained her senses, Preston moved aside to check on his injured father who lay on the ground. He looked to have a bad bruise on his forehead, most likely from the fall, but otherwise he seemed to be okay. Mr. Tien's eyes fluttered open for a moment as he regained consciousness and tried to rise. He blinked in surprise as Preston knelt over him and cradled his head gently, "Preston?"

"It's okay Dad. I'm all right," the Blue Ranger said in relief as he held his father, "Just lie still. You had a bad fall and I'm going to get you some help, okay?"

Mr. Tien caught his son's hand in a firm grip and tried to focus his bleary eyes on him, "Preston... I'm so sorry about tonight... about everything. I..."

Preston shook his head and silenced his father with a gentle squeeze of his hand, "It's all right Dad. You shouldn't apologize for anything. The important thing is you're safe right now. Just sit tight okay? I promise help will be here soon."

Mr. Tien sighed and laid his head back down to rest while Preston rose and walked over toward Sarah a short distance away, "The others are still in trouble. Namahage is back and we have to help them against that ogre monster."

Sarah's features darkened, "What about your father?"

Preston gave a conflicted look before flagging down one of the restaurant managers who had been cowering inside, "Hey! This man is hurt! Call an ambulance, quick!"

As the manager hurried back inside to call for help, Preston grimaced as Sarah squeezed his hand quickly, "I hate to leave him like this too but he should be okay. Our team needs us right now. Are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah," he said with a reluctant nod before taking off down the street following the Pink Ranger. As the two friends hurried off to join their fellow Rangers on the battlefield, Preston couldn't help but say a silent prayer hoping that his father wouldn't be too hurt and that his other Ranger friends would be able to hold out long enough for he and Sarah to help.


	4. Resolution

By now, the street lamps of Summer Cove had come on to light up the streets around the commercial district where the other Ninja Rangers were busy doing battle with their newest foe. Although they were holding their own against the powerful ogre sent down by Galvanax, it was a struggle and the Rangers weren't able to gain a clear advantage either. As he hit the ground and rolled to a recovery crouch, Brody panted and took a moment to catch his breath. He raised his guard and glanced over to his other teammates who also took defensive stances against the creature calling himself Namahage. "This isn't going as well as I'd hoped."

"Tell me about it," Calvin panted tiredly, "Where are Preston and Sarah? They haven't responded to our call."

"Your little friends won't be coming to help you!" the monster chortled as it used its large knife to hew down a lightpole. "Let's just say they're hosting an unexpected dinner guest right now."

He took in a deep breath and used his powers to blow a tremendous gust of wind to throw the four Rangers away. Street signs and vendor stands tipped over causing a mess as the Ninja Rangers fell backwards and tried to regain their footing. Fortunately, evening shoppers and other civilians had long since fled the area meaning no one else was going to get hurt.

The ogre sniffed in disgust as he plodded forward, "Hmmph, and I thought you Rangers were going to be challenge. I am not impressed."

Before the monster could speak another insult he was hit full on by a pair of ninja bow blasts and thrown sideways to the pavement. The others looked up in surprise to see the morphed forms of both Preston and Sarah arrive on the battlefield. Haley gave a wave followed by a sigh of relief, "Am I glad to see you two! What happened?"

"Long story. We'll explain later," Sarah said before confronting the recovered monster.

Preston gave a sideways glance and drew his blade, "You know... I've always hated bullies."

Sarah drew her own sword and challenged the ogre, "Hey fang face! Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"

"Says the shortest girl on the team," the Blue Ranger pointed out watching the provoked enemy react violently. "Are you really sure that was a good idea?"

The monster snarled and charged forward cutting off any more debate. It took wide clumsy swings which the two agile Rangers dodged and wove around. As Preston played defense and carefully parried aside some strikes, Sarah moved alongside him, slipping in and out of his guard while counter attacking with precision slashes. They blocked another strike together and barely held out against their foe's strength when Sarah turned her head, "Let's set up for the finisher. Think you can pull one more dragon out of your hat?"

The Blue Ranger called on his magic powers again to call forth the same dragon he had used on Odius, but this time, the dragon simply reared up and gave a terrifying roar. The startled ogre fell back in momentary fright as it looked up at the snarling dragon while the six Rangers used the time to regroup behind it. The momentary distraction worked perfectly. Once the dragon illusion dissipated, the ogre blinked in horror as the Ninja Rangers surged forward and delivered a unified six person final strike.

As the fires in the street subsided from the defeated monster, the six friends took a moment to exchange congratulations and high fives with each other. Brody pumped an excited fist as he clapped Preston on the back, "Wow Presto! That was one hell of a magic trick you did right there! That dragon was epic!"

"Ah, thanks..." Preston replied sheepishly trying to pass off the credit toward Sarah, "It wasn't all my idea to begin with."

"Well whatever it was, we're just glad the cavalry got here just in time," Calvin said cheerfully.

Haley took a moment to look around before turning to Sarah, "Hey, by the way... that monster said you two might have run into trouble on your end. Was everything okay at The Grotto?"

"Oh my gosh! I almost forgot! My Dad!" Preston gasped as he slapped his forehead and began running away from the battlefield at full speed, "I need to get to the hospital! I'll catch up with you guys later!"

Everyone watched him sprint away before turning to Sarah curiously. She gave a sigh and shrugged, "For now, let's just say Mr. Tien didn't have the best taste when it came to women."

* * *

The next day, Mr. Tien was released from the hospital and given a good prognosis. The doctor had wrapped a small bandage over his forehead and said he was lucky not to have not gotten a concussion. All he needed were just a few more painkillers and some rest before being able to return to work. On the way home, he and Preston made a detour to the small local cemetery across town. It was situated at the edge of Summer Cove and was nestled near some quiet grassy meadowlands.

When they arrived, they found the trees there had already begun to change colors and shed their leaves blanketing the area in a colorful carpet of foliage. They walked down a quiet tree lined path carrying a small bundle of freshly cut flowers which was tried together by a blue ribbon.

Eventually, they came to a headstone clearly marked with the name Ellen Tien. Mr. Tien waited for a minute while Preston bent down and cleared away some twigs and leaves that had fallen around the grave site. Mr. Tien set the flowers in a small receptacle and let his son speak first.  
"Uh, hey Mom... sorry we're a little late this year. There were some things that came up and well... I guess you can say it's been a little crazy. A lot has happened to Dad and I recently and..."

He paused when he felt his father touch his arm and point behind them. Preston turned in surprise to see his other Ranger friends all standing off in the distance under the shade of a large tree which stood at the side of the walking path. While the others held back, the Pink Ranger slowly walked over and gave a hesitant little wave. Preston cast a look to his teammates and stepped forward to meet her, "Sarah? What are you doing here?"

"Hey... sorry about all this," she said, "We didn't mean to interrupt anything. When you cut out early last night, we all just wanted to make sure you and your dad were doing okay."

Mr. Tien nodded and gave a small but grateful smile, "It's good of you to come by. I owe you for your help last night too so thank you Sarah. I'm glad Preston has a good friend like you to help him when he needs it."

The Pink Ranger gave a nod and turned back to Preston, "When you're done here, the rest of us were hoping you'd come join us for some pizza. We've all had a tough weekend and thought you might want to chill out a little bit too."

"Thanks... that sounds good," the Blue Ranger agreed before giving a look to his father.

Mr. Tien nodded in approval and placed a hand on his son's shoulder, "Sarah, if you don't mind, I'd like just a few more minutes to speak to Preston... in private?"

"Of course," Sarah said as she turned and headed back down the path to give the two men some space.

Once she was out of earshot, Mr. Tien turned back to his son, "Preston, I did a lot of thinking at the hospital last night and I wanted to apologize again to you and your mother... for everything."

He looked to Ellen's headstone a moment and sighed, "I know it might have been a little insensitive to schedule that date yesterday, but I had a good reason... at least I thought it was at the time. I... I thought that maybe if I distracted myself on that day, it would help me to move on a little bit more. I guess I'm not much different than you are in missing her. I'm sorry, son."

"Dad, I said it's okay... really. You don't have to apologize."

"Maybe not, but I still want to," Mr. Tien said looking his son in the eye, "You were right about one thing. Maybe I was being a little selfish in wanting to try and get out there again. To go on some dates and not feel so lonely. I didn't think how it might make you feel or how much it would upset you."

Preston sighed and faced his father, "You're not wrong for feeling that way Dad. I should be apologizing a little bit too. In a way, you were right about me needing to move on too. I mean, I guess it was a little selfish of me for not thinking of your feelings and wanting you to go out with a person who made you happy either. Yesterday night, Sarah pointed out to me how you were happier and more relaxed. To be honest, it made me happy to see you that way too."

"Well, I guess it's probably better I don't get back on the dating circuit any time soon," Mr. Tien said with a dry chuckle, "If I was just dating a literal monster, that was a pretty big mistake."

"You didn't make one with Mom," Preston smiled gently.

Both Preston and his father exchanged a smile and gave each other a hug. In a strange way, both of them being there in the presence of Mrs. Tien there made them feel like a complete family again for a moment. "I love you Dad."

"I love you too son."

When Mr. Tien finally let go, he turned over to glance at Sarah who was waiting with the other Rangers. He gave a smile and patted his son's shoulder, "Well... at least I can see you have better taste than your father when it comes to women. I thought that Sarah was a nice girl... she's cute too."

"Oh God, I told you it's not like that Dad!" Preston groaned before seeing that his father was teasing him a little.

"Best not to keep your friends waiting too long."

Preston smiled gently and touched the headstone, "I've got to get going now Mom. My friends are waiting for me. There's been a lot going on with Dad and I lately but I promise I'll come by again one of these days to talk. Okay?"

He stepped back and turned to his father, "Dad? You ready to go too?"

Mr. Tien smiled and gave a quiet shake of his head, "You go on ahead without me Preston. I figured I'd stay just a little bit longer."

Preston patted his father's shoulder and said his goodbye before walking up the path to where his other Ranger friends were waiting for him under a large tree. Mr. Tien continued watching as his son departed the cemetery before turning to the headstone of his wife, "You know Ellen, we really were lost without you for a while. It's been a few years now and I think Preston and I dealt with your absence in our own ways. I admit, I was a little concerned about Preston before. But as time goes by, I can see he's growing to become stronger than I thought. He seems happier... more confident, and he has a lot more friends."

He stopped and touched the headstone while giving a little chuckle, "I'm sure I'm still going to screw up a lot and I might not be as good of a caregiver as you were, but I promise I'll keep trying my best. I guess I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to worry. It's a little strange and I can't quite explain it, but I have a feeling that our son is going to be just fine."


End file.
